Nevada Cancer Coalition recognizes four leaders with 2026 Summit Awards

Nevada Cancer Coalition on Friday, Sept. 18 recognized three individuals and one organization for their contributions to cancer prevention, early detection and access to care in Nevada. The awards were distributed during the 2026 Nevada Cancer Control Summit in Reno.

The annual Summit Awards honor individuals and organizations whose work advances cancer control in Nevada through community outreach, health care, prevention, education and emerging leadership.

This year’s honorees are Father Edgar Villanueva of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Community Champion; Kevin Kiene, M.D., of Skin Cancer & Dermatology Institute, Healthcare Partner of the Year; the Nevada State Immunization Program, Healthcare Partner of the Year; and Randi Owens, a University of Nevada, Reno medical student, Rising Star.

“Cancer control is community work, and each of this year’s award recipients demonstrates what is possible when people are willing to step beyond their traditional roles to improve the health of Nevadans,” said Cari Herington, chief executive officer of NCC. “Their partnerships have helped us reach people who might otherwise face barriers to prevention, screening and care, and for that we are grateful.”

Community Champion: Father Edgar Villanueva

The Community Champion Award recognizes an individual or organization making a profound difference in expanding access to health care for underserved communities.

Villanueva, of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Sun Valley, first connected with Nevada Cancer Coalition after seeing an advertisement promoting the nonprofit’s ThriveNV navigation to cancer screening services. Recognizing that the service could benefit members of his predominantly Hispanic congregation, including people who face barriers to accessing health care, he reached out to the coalition.

That initial conversation grew into a community health event at the church offering free screening services on-site. The event was among NCC’s first community “pop-up” screening events and helped lay the groundwork for similar outreach efforts.

Villanueva has continued hosting health events at the church and bringing together local organizations to provide services to the Sun Valley community. He also volunteered to appear in NCC’s cancer early detection campaign, delivering messages in English and Spanish about the importance of taking care of one’s health and getting recommended cancer screenings.

The coalition will return to Our Lady of Guadalupe for another community screening event in early 2027.

Fr. Edgar was unable to attend the awards luncheon.

Healthcare Partner of the Year: Dr. Kevin Kiene

Kiene, a dermatologist with Skin Cancer & Dermatology Institute, has volunteered with Nevada Cancer Coalition’s Biggest Little Skin Cancer Screening since the event began three years ago.

At the clinics, Kiene has provided free skin checks while also mentoring University of Nevada, Reno, medical students who participate in the events.

His volunteer work has since expanded beyond Reno to rural Nevada and Sun Valley. When NCC needed a dermatology provider for a free skin cancer screening event in Elko earlier this year, Kiene traveled roughly 300 miles to participate. He later returned to Elko to perform a follow-up biopsy for a patient he had screened, helping the patient avoid a lengthy wait for care.

Kiene is also scheduled to volunteer at an upcoming health fair at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Sun Valley.

The award recognizes his continued commitment to sun safety, skin cancer prevention and early detection and his willingness to bring those services to communities with limited access.

Healthcare Partner of the Year: Nevada State Immunization Program

NCC also recognized the Nevada State Immunization Program as a Healthcare Partner of the Year for its work to expand vaccination access and promote immunization as an important tool in cancer prevention.

The program has continued its vaccination and education efforts during a period of increased challenges and changing public conversations surrounding immunization.

Through its partnership with the coalition, the program has supported the HPV Cancer Free NV campaign, which emphasizes HPV vaccination as cancer prevention and works to increase awareness of the vaccine’s role in preventing several types of cancer.

The program has also partnered with NCC and others in Nevada’s immunization community on efforts surrounding vaccination privileges for dental professionals. Expanding the number of health professionals who can provide vaccines could create additional access points for Nevadans and help integrate vaccination into more routine health care settings.

The award recognizes the program’s continued commitment to cancer prevention, immunization access and collaboration despite an increasingly complex environment for vaccine education and outreach.

Rising Star: Randi Owens

The Rising Star Award recognizes a student who has demonstrated a commitment to cancer control before beginning their professional career.

This year’s recipient, Randi Owens, is a second-year medical student at UNR who has worked with NCC for several years, beginning before she entered medical school.

Owens has played a significant role in the coalition’s free community skin cancer screening events, helping recruit physicians and medical students, promote events throughout the community and support their operation.

She also helped NCC develop standardized practices for community skin cancer screening events. Those practices were incorporated into a toolkit designed to help other organizations plan and conduct community skin check clinics.

In addition to continuing to volunteer while attending medical school, Owens is contributing to cancer research and was a listed author on two projects presented during the Nevada Cancer Control Summit poster session. Her work reflects an early commitment to sun safety, skin cancer prevention and early detection and demonstrates the type of leadership the Rising Star Award was created to recognize.